Beyond Saving
by BYPASS08
Summary: It was a cold night in Gotham, the streets were filled with banks of snow, the lights were shining brightly against the skyscrapers, and me, after all these years crawls back to this hellhole of a place you call home. Six years, six freaking years I've wasted my life with that Red-headed bastard. Past Spitfire.Traught,May turn M. Adult themes."I just want to be left alone, please."
1. Above Saving

Hey guys this is my first fanfic, so bear with me, this is AU, no one has superpowers and I pretty sure I will try my best to explore all kinds of dark themes, anyway this is mostly Traught, I love that shipping so much, no offense to Spitfire fans, I just really don't like Wally and Artemis. And please send me reviews I want to see how I am doing, I suck at summaries. Read and Review.

Artemis POV

Gotham City

December 19, 2022

22:44:56

It was a cold night in Gotham, the streets were filled with banks of snow, the lights were shining brightly against the skyscrapers, and me, after all these years crawls back to this hellhole of a place you call home. Six years, six freaking years I've wasted my life with that Red-headed bastard, and I walk to his house as usual and I just find him in the room, clothes scattered on the floor breathing rapidly while sweating under the sheets with a girl naked from his school. I can't believe he would do this to me, after all we've been through. We both met at a bar a few years back, after my dad sent me out on the job again to look for money from guys, when we saw each other, we both feel in love, sure it was probably the tequila talking, still it wasn't just the job that was taking its toll on me, my crippled mom had recently died and my sister left with another red-head after she got pregnant, my life was hell just pure hell right there, I was vulnerable, once I found him I thought he was my knight in shining armor to save me from this place I call home, turns out he was just another one of those people. I walked the streets of Gotham and passed my old apartment, I could never go back to my dad, he would always make me go out at night if I hadn't paid him his share, let alone eat for weeks if I forgot my money, I couldn't go back to that, to the job that basically screws me up on the inside, I can't go back to my jackass-of-a-father, I can't keep living like this, so far my whole life has been pure hell, I lost my mom after she was killed in an alleyway, I lost my sister when she left, I was stuck with my father, one of the big mob bosses in Gotham City, yet he always makes me work my ass off as a prostitute for his money, I can't go back to that, ever. As I walked the cold Gotham streets with nothing but a short skirt and and a tank top, I quickly started to cry, cry myself to death, I sat on the curb thinking what my life could have been, then I realized I don't have a life after this, I didn't care about the cold, I don't care what happens to me anymore. I couldn't take it anymore, all the pain, the suffering, the agony that just rests in my bones, screaming to get out. I just want to die, die and finally be at pure peace. I quickly got off the curb as I was crying softly and headed for the one of the tallest buildings in Gotham City, with only one thing going through my mind. _I just wanted to fucking die and be at peace._

I quickly got to one of the few higher buildings in the financial district, not caring on whether or not someone saw me, it was pretty crowded with people coming in and out of shops for Christmas. I quickly went to a building marked Wayne Enterprises, and I broke into the door and used the stairs to get to the top off the roof. Once I finally made it to the top of the snowy roof, I stood on top of the ledge as I waited for the right time to fall, soon I heard a scream as someone looked up and saw on top of the balcony, I didn't care that all of a sudden everyone started to pile around to see what I'll do, I didn't care anymore, all I knew was that after this I will be at peace.

-BREAKLINE-

Normal POV

At the Gotham Police Department in downtown Gotham

As the people started to pile up around Wayne Enterprises, news quickly spread throughout Gotham. "This is Marc Jones of Gotham tonight with breaking news, apparently there has been reports of an unidentified woman atop the Wayne Enterprises building, and despite the Mr. Wayne and the employee's best efforts, the woman threatened to jump should anyone interfere, this is Marc Jones of Gotham Tonight, we will keep you informed of the coming details back to you Eric" as the TV sounded, in the main room, soon cops were ordered to Wayne Enterprises, all of them started to pile up into their police cars and started to head for Downtown Gotham. Once the cops reached the building through the crowd, police started to push people away from the building

"We need to set a perimeter around the building, evacuate all the employees, where is that DWP guy?" Commissioner Barbara Gordon said as the police began to block off the area.

"Commissioner Gordon! Commissioner, do you have any comment on tonight's predicaments?" one of the news people arrived on the scene. The Commissioner just shrugged them off.

"No, I need you to be at the back of this police line, no one goes in there go it?" She ordered over the radio. She turned to one of the cops. "You, come here"

"Yes Commish?" the cop said.

"I need you to get up there and talk some sense into girl got it?" She said as she pointed to the girl on top of the ledge.

"Yes"

Soon the cop headed the nearest entrance for the stairway trying his best to reach the rooftop, once there he tried his best to get the door open, finally he kicked it down and emerged out to the rooftop, he took out his gun he assumed this place would be where he thought a psychopath was about to jump, instead he found an angel in distress, the Gotham light shimmering in her, he could tell by the way she looked she hasn't eaten, nor slept, she was once beautiful, but this city and time has not been good to her. She quickly noticed him and turned back.

"Stay back! I-I'm warning you, I'll jump!" she said frantically, almost crying.

"Please hear me out" the Cop said as he dropped his gun back into his holster.

"I told them to leave me alone" she said as he tried to step closer.

"Miss, do not jump please"

"Why should you care?" she said as she took off her shoe and dropped it down.

"I care because that's who I am, don't jump"

"Why, this world's been cruel, why should I listen to you?" she said as her eyes started to tear up.

"Why has the world been cruel?" he asked softly, hands in the air.

"Why do you have to care? You don't get what it feels like, to live like this, l-like me" she said with venom in her voice as she pointed to herself, remembering all the horrible things that she had to do just to eat, live under a roof and survive.

"Please, don't do this, you have your whole life ahead of you"

"No! No I never did, I lost my life a long time ago, I don't deserve to live, I'm just a pathetic excuse for life, my mom's gone, my boyfriend cheated on me and my dad's an ass" she said as she looked down.

"Miss, I know how you feel" He said trying to calm her down.

"No! No you don't know, you don't know what it feels like, one cares about me, I live off the streets, my dad abuses me and my mom's 10 feet under" she shouted, hands in the air, her eyes were starting to redden, he could tell by the way she has lived that her life has been a living hell.

"Miss please I'm begging you don't do this!" he said as he took another step closer to her causing her to slightly retreat closer to the edge of the ledge.

"Take one step closer and I'll jump" she threatened.

"Miss, don't jump" he said as he tried to get closer.

"Stay back" she said, and he finally stopped his tracks against the snow covered rooftop.

"Come on, let's just talk this out please, I know it feels like to lose a family, to be angry, to be on the edge. I know what the feels like, now listen to me, if you jump you will regret it"

"I-I just want to be left alone, _please" _She pleaded with her steel grey eyes.

"Dying won't solve your problems; dealing with them is an entirely different way of solving them, Miss"

"Who are you to talk, you don't spend your life on the streets, fucking guys senseless just so that you could nibble on food, you don't know what it feel like to be slapped by my asshole of a father just because you forgot to pay for the damn day, and you certainly don't know what it feels like to be me!" she shouted, her tears slowly falling from her once perfect face, onto the ground.

"I know who you are though, I'll help anyway I can miss, just don't jump" he said as he stared at her with his eyes.

"Why do you give a crap?" She said channeling her anger through her words.

"I give a crap because I spent my whole life saving people, people I don't even know, saving anyone I can because I couldn't save my parents myself, I may not know what it feels like to be you, but I'm willing to try Miss, if you'll let me" She finally looked at him directly, she looked at his eyes, which were such an intense hue of blue, that it was unreal as it shimmered with his emotions, backing up his words.

"Who do you think you are?" she asked as her husky voice toned down, she looked at him, waiting for an answer.

"My name is Dick, Dick Grayson 'Miss"

Sorry if it sucks but guys tell me what you guys think, fortunately school is coming up which sucks but anyway Read and Review. Tell me what you think.


	2. Am I beyond saving?

"Wait as in Dick Grayson, _the_ Dick Grayson, the billionaire's son?" She snorts in retort as Dick tries to move in closer...

"Yeah, Miss, I may not know how it feels to be in hell, but I can help you"

"I'm not crazy!" She shouts, her foot slightly tipping over the edge as the crowd below begins to gasp.

"I know you're not but just listen, come with me please" He says trying to convince her, or at least distract her long enough to get near.

"WHY THE FUCK SHOULD I? So you can screw me senseless?!" She say as Dick moved a little closer.

"So I can help you Miss!"

"How huh? How can you help me, turn me over to the cops, put me in a psych ward, or maybe put me in rehab, I'm not crazy!"

"Miss,I've seen crazy and you don't even qualify, you're not crazy, you just distraught!" He said as he pleaded with his blue eyes. "Miss all I want to do is help you, to save you, no one is beyond saving, even you"

He's surprised at the emotions of pain and sadness he can read off just her eyes as she responds"Why, why do you want to help me, when no one else would?"

He slowly inches a little more closer as he says. "Because, I believe everyone deserves a chance, even you"

She covers herself, stifling her sobs as she asks "How?"

His smirk says he's won the battle."I can provide you with a new life, a job, a home, a place from everyone, I can offer you a chance"

She narrows her eyes as she glares daggers at him, unsure "And why should I trust you?"

"Because Miss, I know what it means to be destroyed from the inside, to be changed and deformed, I know what it means to be damaged"

Artemis finally locks onto his eyes, the intense hue of blue glittering from reflection of the city lights, the intensity and emotion emitting from it, it was almost unreal. Dick soon inches closer enough to finally extend his hand and reach out to her, pleading and begging with his eyes to save her from herself.

"It's okay Miss, everything's going to be okay, just stay whelmed"

It was all in the eyes, a battle of blue and grey, sighing she knew he had won, so she moved and inched herself forward toward him to take his hand, he spine soon began to tingle as the wind blew, then she felt the wind take over, pushing her enough to make her lose her balance on the slippery ice, then she slipped...


	3. Saving

It was all in the eyes, a battle of blue and grey, sighing she knew he had won, so she moved and inched herself forward toward him to take his hand, he spine soon began to tingle as the wind blew, then she felt the wind take over, pushing her enough to make her lose her balance on the slippery ice, then she slipped...

Artemis closed her eyes. She knew the end was about to come. She felt weightless as she fell. The loud gasps from below echoed in her ears..

She felt happy.

"Mis!" Dick ran as she started to fall. He grabbed her hand at the last second.

Soon her body jerked wildly, she felt his hand grab onto her's as he tried to pull her up. Her eyes fluttered open to see him struggling to pull her up.

"Mis! Mis you have to listen to me! I need you to grab hold to my other hand!" He tried as his grasp began to slip. "Mis, listen to me! I need you to stay traught!"

"Why? Why did you save me?" Artemis said as she felt her hand begin to slip.

"Because you're worth saving. Mis, grab onto my hand. Please!"

"I can't."

"Why?"

"I don't deserve to live."

"Yes you do. You have a chance to be a better person. Please, let me help you." Dick said as her last finger began to slip. He had to stay on. For her sake. She can't give up her life now.

Artemis looked down. The floodlight's flashed directly at her. Does her really mean it? What's he's saying about helping her? Can she trust this guy, after all the men in her life had let her down. Destroyed her and battered down her soul from the inside out. Can she after all the hell in her life?

She looks back up at him. Her hands are slipping. She knows her decision. She just hopes she doesn't regret it.

She grabs his other hand.

He lifts her up as quickly as he can. Not wasting a second as he finally pulls her up as he falls down on him, clutching his shirt as she breaks down crying into his arms. The voices of relief come below as everyone cheers. He doesn't hear them. He's just happy that's he's saved another life, but he also prevented a death as well. Something he couldn't do. He hugs her in his arms, her eyes are red as she cries into his uniform. At least she's safe, at least she's not dead. _'I hope I can keep my promise to you mis.' _He thinks, for now he's just happy, his heart slows down as he holds the girl tightly in his arms.

"Way to get traught."


	4. Trust but verify

He lifts her up as quickly as he can. Not wasting a second as he finally pulls her up as she falls down on him, clutching his shirt as she breaks down crying into his arms. The voices of relief come below as everyone cheers. He doesn't hear them. He's just happy that's he's saved another life, but he also prevented a death as well. Something he couldn't do. He hugs her in his arms, her eyes are red as she cries into his uniform. At least she's safe, at least she's not dead. _'I hope I can keep my promise to you mis.' _He thinks, for now he's just happy, his heart slows down as he holds the scared girl tightly in his arms.

"Way to get traught."

...

Flashing shots of camera irritated Artemis' eyes as she walked through the hoard of reporters, Artemis just buried her face into Dick's shoulder as they made their way to the police car, Artemis got in, resting her head as she finally passed out.

...

They had finally reached the police station, Artemis was still passed out as Dick carried her to the room, she grasped his hand as she was being laid down in the room.

Dick walked out of the room, a sad look on his face as he looked through the one-way glass, she looked so hurt, so lost. _'How can someone like that, so young and full of potential, be so distraught? So damaged? How can I help her now?' _

"You did good." A voice, unmistakably female walked up to him, two other guys follow behind, a red-head man with a buzz cut, and brown haired man with blue eyes. The brown-haired man walked into Artemis's room as she began

"Thanks Babs. Don't think I did enough though."

Barbara placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You did fine, _he_ would be proud. So would they."

"Yeah..." He turned back to Artemis. "So what happens now?"

"She'll need therapy, PTSD from an almost suicide is a scary thing to go through, especially from 16 floors up. I'll try to find her the best treatment possible. I send her to the Dinah." Barbara sat down on the seat next to the table, she pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. "So what's the girl's name?"

"Artemis."

Barbara's eyes shot up."As in Artemis Crock? The daughter of the criminal Lawrence 'Crusher' Crock? Her?"

"We can't know for sure. She's not a criminal. And we don't even know her full name."

"And what if she is Dick?" The other red-head steps in. "You do realize that her father's a criminal that's about to start a gang war across Gotham and Bludhaven. Millions of lives will be lost Dick. Don't you care?"

He faces him. "I know, Roy, but she's not _Artemis Crock, _she jumped off Gotham's grid years ago. She's not-"

"Let's just say that she is, and lets recall the reason why I lost my arm!" Dick looks away as Roy flashes his prosthetic arm.

"And even if she is, I-I'm not going to use her to get to her father, she's deserves better than that. She's not her family." Roy just walks away, not bothering what he's said.

Barbara walks up to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Roy's just been...gone since he lost his arm in the bombing accident and since his brother left. Since then, he hasn't been the same."

Dick shrugs. The other officer inside the Artemis' room steps out, shutting the door as the lights shut-off. "Well?" Dick peaked.

"I didn't get out much, she was too tired to answer any questions."

"Did you at least get her name?"

"Yeah Babs, she says her name's Artemis Brooks. Sorry I couldn't get out anything else."

Barbara sighs, rubbing her eyes. "It's fine, you did good Rico."

"I got a some DNA samples, it'll take two weeks to check, but we won't know for sure." Rico shrugs as he looks at the blond. "Do you really think she's a Crock Dick?"

"Do you?"

"She certainly got the attitude of one, and she looks like Artemis, give or take a few years. I'm just eyeballing it, so I'm not sure." Dick glanced at the taller man, his blue eyes unsure as well.

_'I just hope she's not.' _He thinks. "So what happens now?"

Barbara steps in. "For now, we'll assign you as her a parole officer, to show her around, get her back into the world, and she'll have therapy sessions with Dinah."

"Me? Why?" Dick asks. _'W__hy me?'_

Rico shrugs. "What the old saying? Trust but verify? Look Grayson, you're the only person she trusts, and she needs a help."

"I know, I'll do it. Just tell me something." Dick says sternly. Barbara and Rico look at each other. "If she _is Artemis Crock. _What would you do to her? Would you help her or just use her as jailbait?"

Rico and Barbara look at him, unsure. "Well?"

"We won't do anything to harm her Dick, she's been through enough. I-uh can't say the same for the rest of the cops."

"What's that supposed to mean Rico?"

"I mean Dick, there's a gang war coming, and these cops are pretty desperate to stop it. It's better to hit first than to hit later. And Artemis...Well Artemis could either be our savior or destroyer. And some of these cops...they don't share the same opinion or value of trust, freedom, liberty, and to protect and serve the same as we do, so be careful boy wonder. Trust but verify."

"Understood. At least I know there's someone I can trust. I have to go, there's someone...I need to talk to." Dick says as he grabs his jacket, clocks out of as he leaves in the night.

Barbara stared at Artemis through the window, narrowing her eyes. "I sure hope we can keep the promise."

"Me too Babs. Though," He scratches his head. "there's something you should know." The taller boy takes out a pad.

"Enlighten me."

He sighs. "I tried figuring out her identity through the tests I ran, so far she has no records, no dental, no recognition, no any traceable evidence, nothing. So far all I have is a Dna sample, but it'll take two-maybe three weeks to analyze."

"It's fine. Can I trust you?"

"Anything Babs. We've been best friends for since high school."

"Just do me a favor, pray that she isn't a Crock, I don't want Dick to get crushed." He placed a hand on her shoulder, giving her a knowing smile.

"Understood."


End file.
